Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star James Sutton has announced his marriage is over. The Ryan Lamb actor has split from wife Rachael Collin after eight years together.
The star – who currently plays John Paul McQueen in Hollyoaks – revealed the news over the weekend. He told the Mirror: “Rachael and I had a wonderful relationship and marriage. It was very sad but amicable, and we remain friends.”
A source added: “James and Rachael have enjoyed a really happy marriage but, as many couples can relate to, their relationship became strained during lockdown.
“James is in the public eye, whereas Rachael prefers to be out of the spotlight and, after eight fantastic years together, they decided they were better off as friends. For now, James is focused on work. They still have a lot of love for each other.”
The former couple met at Glastonbury – and later returned to marry there. He has previously described how the couple got together.
Emmerdale star James Sutton splits from wife
He said: “I was watching this girl pumping up an air bed with a foot pump and I thought, ‘I’ve got an electric pump in my bag, I could be a hero here’. So I went over and said, ‘Excuse me, do you want to borrow my pump?’”
James found fame in Hollyoaks in 2006 as gay teenager John Paul McQueen. He quit in 2008.
He went on to star in Emmerdale for two years as mechanic Ryan Lamb before quitting in 2011. Roles in Casualty and Holby City followed.
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James eventually went back to Hollyoaks in 2012 and stayed for a five year stretch before quitting in 2017. The actor returned in 2019 and has remained there ever since.
His character was recently the victim of a homophobic attack. Speaking about the ordeal, James confirmed his future on the soap.
Read more: Emmerdale fans predict shock pregnancy twist for teen character
“The attack is the catalyst for the next six to 12 months of John Paul and this next storyline I’ve got coming up,” he told Digital Spy.
“He’s vulnerable, he’s lost, and he feels like he doesn’t really have much identity. He is searching for something and through that vulnerability and through that trauma he’s endured, and through that lack of sense of self, he is searching for something.”
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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